


The End Game

by Emma_Perlman



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-12 23:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16005944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emma_Perlman/pseuds/Emma_Perlman
Summary: The story takes place at the end of The Originals finale, but with a different twist. I write purely to satisfy myself because I couldn't stand how things ended. If my story has any loophole, please make allowance for it. I just believe Klaroline deserves better.Also, since English is not my mother tongue language so please excuse my English if you find any grammatical errorsMy stories tend to be quite cheesy. Like super cheesy, so do consider this before reading :)Hope you enjoy it





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> The story takes place at the end of The Originals finale, but with a different twist. I write purely to satisfy myself because I couldn't stand how things ended. If my story has any loophole, please make allowance for it. I just believe Klaroline deserves better. 
> 
> Also, since English is not my mother tongue language so please excuse my English if you find any grammatical errors
> 
> My stories tend to be quite cheesy. Like super cheesy, so do consider this before reading :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy it

“You might think you don’t deserve a happy ending. But I know I deserve one. And my ending is only happy if I have you in there” I screamed at his back, watching his every motion. “So don’t you dare continue giving me this silent treatment. Say something. Talk to me, Klaus, please"

Klaus had been quiet like this since he woke up, which was driving me mad. He didn’t expect to see me. He didn’t expect to be here, in a room where he wasn’t supposed to be. He was supposed to be dead. 

He just stood by the window, looking out blankly at the empty street. Darkness had dawned on every corner of the city except for the weak flickers of the street light. 

When he came to me to ask me to take his life to save his daughter, I had known what he wanted to say before he said it. But when the words came out of his mouth, it hurt. It broke me. It felt like everything shattered. 

The man I had tried to forget for over a decade was offering me a chance to kill him. How easy could it be to say yes, especially when those words were from the one you loved. If I had been given that offer when I was younger, I would have been happy to take it. But now that I understood myself better, I knew I couldn’t.


	2. The Choice

When Elijah came and offered to take the dark magic instead of Klaus, I knew it was a crazy idea. Parts of me wanted it. The others didn’t. Deep down inside, I knew Klaus had wanted to die. If you truly love someone, you just give them whatever they want.

“Caroline, please do this for me” Elijah said  
“He wants to die, Elijah” I grunted while thinking about what to do with that offer. I moved around the room, trying to avoid his pleading gaze.

Elijah moved to stand in front of me and forced me to look at him.

“Hayley is the love of my life. I let her die, Caroline. I want to be with her. Just a stake in my heart and I will be with her” Elijah put his hand on my shoulder, his eyes begging me to go along with his plan. “She’s waiting for me on the other side”

I stared at my feet as if I could find an answer there. It felt like eternity since the moment Elijah came to my office. It was so hard to breathe in here. I needed some air.

“Klaus always put on a tough look. He thinks the weight of protecting this family is only for him to bear” Elijah looked out the window, watching the kids practicing magic, playing with each other“ He doesn’t think he deserves goodness. But you and I both know it’s not true. It’s time for me to take on that weight. I don’t want my family to lose two people at the same time. I don’t want my niece to be an orphan. Hope has barely had time with her father.”

"Caroline, he doesn’t have to know about this. If he knows, he won’t comply and might even do something worse. My family is all in. I just need you to be in this with us.”

He turned his back and looked straight at me, hands in his trouser pockets, his eyes begging me to say yes to this crazy plan.

"Can you do me this one final favor?”


	3. The Confession

“How did you get me here, Caroline?” Klaus turned away from the window, staring straight back at me. His eyes were full of complex emotions. Pain? Disappointment? Hatred? 

I felt so guilty for causing this. 

“With some help from your family” I looked at him. He wanted answers and explanation. He deserved to know the truth.

“They want you to take a good rest. But not on the other side, Klaus” I broke away from his stare, looking around the room “And I want you to be here, too. On this side”

He didn’t say a word, just replied to me by turning his back at me and continued looking out the window. 

“Elijah wanted to take the dark magic so you wouldn’t have to. He said he wanted to see Hayley, that you had no business on that side, that you still had reasons to stay."

I told him a lot of things. About how we prepared to sabotage his original plan. About how we pulled this off. 

Nothing coming out of my mouth seemed to be able to trigger a response or a reaction from him. 

His silence was killing me inside out. I’d rather he had poured his anger on me or choked me to death than to bear this. This is pure torture. 

He must have loathed me to his core.

My mind went mad, but deep down inside, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. 

Through the eyes of the world, Klaus was an ageless demon in the form of a man. But in my story, he was not the villain. He was just a bad boy that I was so badly drawn to and ended up loving him. He was nothing like a monster that was capable of hurting me.

We were just the same. Damaged, strong, wild. He saw right through me just like I saw right through him. I loved him for the same reason as why I had used to hate him. He dared to point out the sides of me that I didn’t want to admit. He shoved that truth in my face and challenged me to accept that part. His witty mouth told me ugly truths about me that I wasn’t willing to admit to confront me. He made me laugh and feel happy like no one could. His words imprinted in my mind. His voice echoed in my ears. He left his marks all over Mystic Falls in the way that even he himself didn’t realize. He somehow unconsciously reminded me of him everyday. 

All those years passed by and I just couldn’t forget about him. I kept everything he had touched. His paintings. His letters. His messages. The dresses he picked. He was everywhere.

I grew up a lot after him, had become a more responsible, mature woman. I built an academy for supernatural kids like my daughters. I left them a legacy, a place to fall back on. I did everything possible for them, not asking for anything in return. Now, for the first time since forever, I only selfishly wanted him. Him and him only.

“You were right” I said as I made a step towards him “Small-town boy, small-town life is not enough for me”

Klaus’ eyes were fixed on the empty street. His hands fell on his sides. 

From behind, I could only see the dark shirt he was wearing. It hugged his muscles perfectly. His dark blond hair was as messy as it had been when I first met him. His frame spoke a man who had gone through so much pain that he didn’t deserve.

“However, at that small town, I did find a boy. No. I found a man. There was nothing about him that said small-town. He was extraordinary. Incredible. But he left me there all alone, leaving a growing love behind.” 

That got him turn his back to meet my eyes. He was stunned by my confession. 

I quickly stepped closer to him until I was only inches away from him. So close that I could now felt his warmth and the earthy sense on his body. I breathed it in my system.

I took his hand in mine, placing it on my cheek. I brushed my cheek to his calloused hands, closing my eyes as I savored the feel of Klaus that I had secretly craved for so long. 

“Klaus, please. If you hate me, yell at me. Tell me what a terrible person I am. Tell me you don’t want to see me anymore. Tell me you despise me for what I’ve done. I don’t like seeing you like this. It’s killing me.”

“Klaus, I knew dying was what you had wanted.” I looked into his eyes as I let my tears dropped on his fingers, gushing down “But the selfish monster inside of me couldn’t watch you do it and eventually jumped at the chance that your brother offered. I was terrified of losing you. Our story has barely started, how can I let it end so abruptly? So you can resent me however much you want. I just want you to know that I love you and have no regret doing what I did”


	4. The Acceptance

I should have turned to specks of dust and ember by now. 

But because of my beloved Caroline and family, I was here. Still breathing. Still alive.

I understood their reasons. They thought I shouldn’t have opted for death. Hope said she wanted to spend more time with me. She just lost her mother, it was cruel of me to take away her other parent. 

But I was unwilling to let that dark magic take her life. Hope was too young to be robbed of opportunities to see this world and to thrive. She had barely left this town, barely seen anything outside the borders. 

She was my daughter. And I would go to any length to protect her.

I planned to die with that magic rushing through my veins. I had been a monster. I had been a representative of pure evil. I had done enough terrible things to make me unqualified for anything good in this life, let alone love. 

I thought Hope was the only thing good I could possibly have in this world. 

But right now, Caroline was offering me something I had desired for so long.

I captured every single detail of hers as I held her gaze. A lock of her blond fell on her face. Her long lashes covered the pair of eyes that had managed to seduce me since the very beginning. Her soft lips stayed motionles as her eyes were locked to mine. 

I held her face gently, feeling her tears running on the muscles of my hand. 

I had always wanted her confession although deep in my heart, I knew I didn’t deserve it.

Something about Caroline said she was my last love. She made me forget about the monster I was, made me feel like I was actually a good man. 

She saw something in me that everyone, including me, couldn’t see. I had driven her away but that girl was so stubborn that she decided to stick around and be my company. 

Whenever I was with her, I let my guard down, unconsciously revealing other sides me. 

Caroline’s hands moved up and down my arms, trying to comfort me. 

She thought I was mad at her. Maybe some parts of me really were. That was the truth. But mostly, I was confused. Puzzled with the situation they put me in. 

I had got my own plan only to have it destroyed by my family and the woman I loved. 

Caroline thought I had a type when it came to women. I joked about it, telling her that my type was blond, intelligent, beautiful, fierce. 

It managed put a smile on her face, making me feel exactly like I had had the greatest achievement of my life.

She and I both knew that I didn’t have a type. 

It was just her all along.

I loved Caroline.

I had always loved her. Now, back then. Always.

I just needed a moment to readjust myself and adapt to this situation. 

Elijah had made up his mind, taking the choice in his hand and sacrificing for not only Hope but also me. He had probably asked Caroline to take me here so I wouldn’t be able to stop him even if I had woken up early.

He ensured my plan would fail under any circumstances.


	5. The Day After

I woke up on the bed, seeking the feel of Klaus next to me. When my hand felt his skin, my heart was a ton lighter with relief. I found his chest and moved in there as if it were my safe haven. Actually it really was my safe haven.

His kisses last night were so soft, so tender. It was nothing like the ones we had had in the woods. Nothing like the one I gave him at the bar when I convinced him to say goodbye to his daughter. The kisses were rather slow, sweet and deep. Exactly how I had imagined our kiss should be. 

As I wrapped my arms around his neck the way I had always wanted to, I knew we were both savoring that moment and each other. We had missed out on each other for too long. Been apart for too long. We were not willing to let go this time.

Last night was… emotional. I remembered his tears streaming down his face as I confided my feelings in him. I wasn’t sure if his tears were because of my confession or he was mourning his brother. 

He let out a long sigh, having his forehead touch mine. His breath danced on the tip of nose. His lips leaning closer to me, kissing me deeply and passionately as if he was afraid of letting go. I remembered one kiss led to another and more kisses, leading to clothes being ripped off and us on this bed. The rest was history.

I could feel his hand running up and down my bare back, his chin on my head, his leg between mine. My head was on the crook of his neck as I hugged him, letting my body savor the touch of his skin.

“Can you forgive me for what I’ve done, Klaus?"

He pulled me out of his chest and looked into my eyes, eyes sparkled with complicated emotions. 

“I understand why you did it, love. You are offering a second chance that I don’t deserve. So yes, I forgive you. You have to understand that I was confused. I was supposed to be dead, Caroline. I was supposed to be on the other side. I was supposed to see Elijah and Hayley. But I saw you”

He stopped for awhile to gain back his calm as his breathing was fast and hurried. He must have felt shocked to see me instead of his brother.

“For a moment I thought you were dead, too. You were not supposed to be there. I was mad at whoever I thought had killed you. Only to realize I was still living”

“Do you hate me for that?” I asked him “Hate me as much as you want. Just so you know, I don’t regret it. Your family supported this”

“I can’t hate you, love” Klaus’ hand played with my hair as I ran my fingers through his. 

“I told myself so many times” I teased “I convinced myself that you couldn’t hate me because you had a big crush on me”

He burst into a pure laughter. I laughed, too. 

For god’s sake, I missed that sound so much. 

“I don’t really understand arts. But the way you talk about it, a part of me somehow can feel it.’ My memory of that trip flashed before my eyes. "I was in France this one time and I decided to go to the Lourve. I saw the famous paintings and sculptures and I saw their beauty and was fully aware of it. I just can’t… feel it. I kept watching them, wondering what you would have said if you had been there. I wondered if everything could have been more fun if you had been there”

“I don’t think I deserve you, Care.” He changed the subject, watching our intertwined hands.

“No one gets to decide whether someone deserves something or not, Klaus. We just go along with it. I care about you. I want you. I know that you want me, too. That’s enough for me. I only hope that’s enough for you, too”

His beautiful eyes were steamed with emotions and sparks of hope. I didn’t want to take that away from him. I knew he was hurt and traumatized. People left him. Good things were taken away from him. As a result, he started to believe nice things are the kind of vanity he could never afford.

“You are more than enough for me” He kissed my forehead in reassurance. His lips traced from my nose and lazily fell to my cheeks. “And for your information, I don’t have a crush on you”

I laughed so hard as his lips finally met mine.

“I…” He kissed me once

“Fancy…” He kissed me twice.

“You.” 

His tongue clashed to mine. It was hot and deep, making him let out a groan. His one hand moved away from my face, fell to my neck and lingered on my breast. He squeezed it gently as he nibbled my neck. It was hard to bear the intensity and sweetness of his kisses and his touch. I held on to his body. Fingers pressed on his muscles as he devoured me.

I wanted him so bad. Wanted him to consume me so I would forever be a part of him. Wanted his lips, his hands to never leave me.

“Klaus, please” I begged.

“Tell me, love. What do you want me to do?” 

“I want you to do what you did last night” I narrowed my eyes as I teased him with a fake British accent. “love”

“Is that your new favorite word now?” That tease got him pull away from kissing my lower belly to move back to my face. “And drop that accent. It sounds too appalling. If you don’t stop it, I won’t give you what you want”

“Last night was… okay” I pulled him closer to me, placing kisses along his jawline before moving down to his neck.

“Love, okay is a horrible understatement” He groaned from my kisses. “Your screaming and scratching last night said the opposite. And I am more than sure that blood still stains on my back”

“Fine” I pushed him back to bed, sitting on his perfect body. “It was amazing.”

“Is it enough for you to want more?” Klaus pulled me back to him, kissing me passionately.

“Enough for me to be addicted till eternity” He put on that sexy smirk of pride, the kind smirk could kill thousands of hearts. 

His hand dropped to my breast, nibbling it, slowly tracing down my spine to my ass. Klaus worshipped my body in the best way he knew.

Memories from last night flashed back. Everything came back to me. His sensation. How long the sex was. How good he felt. And best of all, what he said when he reached his climax.

“Caroline” He moaned with difficult breaths “God, I love you"


	6. When In Rome

“Why are we in Rome, Caroline?” Klaus asked

I lazily opened my eyes, found myself lying on his bare chest, hands on his stomach.

“Well, we brought you here to make sure you wouldn’t have enough time to ruin our plan”

His eyes were suddenly saddened. It took me a second to realize what I had said. How can I be so careless?

“No, I mean why Rome? Why not any other city?"

“Wait, how do you know we’re in Rome?”

“I’ve been here before, love. Probably my second favorite city in this world” His piercing blue eyes looked down at me, his lips formed a devilish smile. “I recognize it the moment I saw it"

“You told me you would take me here, didn’t you?” I answered him while running my fingers all over his skin. “I want you to show me the genuine beauty, music and arts you talked about”

“So you are here only because of my recommendation?” Klaus kissed my temple

“No” I looked up at him, giving him a teasing smile. “It was also because of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.”

“You really don’t enjoy giving men a moment of pride and flattery, do you?” He whispered in my ear, inhaling the sense of my hair as he buried his nose in it. His breath danced on my ear. “You are feisty, love. Endowed with a very smart mouth”

“I’m just brutally honest” I slowly turned my face so his kiss would run from my cheek back to my lips, hands tracing every inch of his body “Beside, you love it anyway”

“You know me too well, Caroline.” Klaus broke away. "But we have to stop doing this if we want to have a tour around this city. There are so many things I want to show you” 

His smile was full of pure excitement, making me wonder what Rome has that made Klaus so eager to show me.

———

He took me everywhere. We visited the museum, watching the paintings and sculptures come back to life as he told me the stories behind them. He seemed to have met all the biggest artists and befriended them all. 

We walked down the lanes. We danced to the unknown song played by the street musician as he whispered in my ears things that got me blush and laugh so hard. We went to the Trevi fountain, threw a coin over our back, wishing to return to this city once more. It was believed that if you throw a second coin, you might find love. I didn’t do it. What was the point of wishing for love when my love was already beside me?

“Since you are so in love with A Roman Holiday, there’s one more thing we ought to do while staying here.” Klaus threw his arm over my shoulder, pulling me closer as we walk out of the restaurant where we had lunch.

“I’m surprised you have seen the movie. Tell me, what is that? Where are we going next?” I looked up to meet his eyes. His hair glowed under the sunlight. His eyes were bluer and happier than ever.

“Visiting Italy without enjoying a gelato is a crime. In order not to violate the rules, we must have a taste of it”

“I had ice cream before.” I watched him curiously "How different can it be?”

“Caroline, love, ice cream and gelato are not the same. Once you have a taste of it, you will take back your words.” Klaus grabbed my hand and dragged me away. “I know just the best place”

We stopped at a gelato store named “Juliet’s”, where a long queue of tourists was lining up, waiting for their turn. Behind the window stood a beautiful blond, serving her customers

“So you do have thing for blondies, don’t you?” Feeling a hint of jealousy, I crossed my arms at my chest and snarled. 

“I don’t know her. It’s been ages since I last came here” Klaus raised an eyebrow, mocking me.”However, I do know her mother”

Now he was crossing the line. I wouldn’t allow him to do this to me. 

“Klaus, love” I furiously turned to stand in front of him, glaring at him to show a sign of a threat. "If you still want hot vampire hybrid sex tonight, you had better keep your romance history and your list of former love interests to yourself. I don’t need to know about it”

“Now that’s a good threat that I would love to obey.” He devilishly grinned at my jealousy, placing a quick kiss on my lips. 

He thought that would calm me down. 

Well it worked.

“Can you see the menu on the wall?” He pointed at a long list of gelato flavors written in pink chalk.

“Italians have a small test for visitors. You just have to pick 2 random flavors and a native will grade you based on your choice. If your grade ranges from 8 to 10, then congratulation, Italy happily welcomes you. If it is below 8, you will bring with you a bad luck curse to any continent you step on. No pressure!”

“How can you say that?” I talked frantically. “I’ve only been to 2 foreign countries. Now you’re saying I might bring a curse with me everywhere I go and expecting me not to worry about this.”

“Only if you fail” He smirked

“Have you done this before? Will you help me?”

“As much as I want to, love. It’s best that you don’t mess with curses. Especially ones created by Italian” 

I shook my head, ignoring him by reading the menu over and over again. I studied each of them desperately, hoping my culinary knowledge could save me this time. 

“I don’t know anymore. I will go with coconut and lime.” I asked. “Is that okay?”

“I don’t know, either. How about you go wait outside while I go get the gelato and see if you will be cursed or not?”

“Stop making me nervous, Klaus. Not funny at all” I left the queue to go out of the store, looking at him from over my back. 

As I stood outside, I finally got an opportunity to reminisce every moment Klaus and I shared today.All the places he took me to came in a flashback. It was such a beautiful day. Everything felt as perfect as it could possibly be. The mellow breeze. The sunlight. The serene atmosphere. Klaus. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this delighted and genuinely peaceful. 

“I can’t believe I will meet you again” I heard a strange but somehow quite familiar voice coming closer to me, waking me up from my flashback.

I narrowed my eyes to make out the image of the owner of that voice. His T-shirt hugged his large frame. His dark hair turned to a brown shade under the light. His face looked familiar, yet I couldn’t recall his name or where I had met him.

He stopped in front of me, looking down at me with amusement. His scent hovered around me, reminding me of the scent of hospitals

Damn, I know where we had met. 

It was my mistake to forget to erase the doctor’s memory. 

“Are you feeling any better now?” His thick Italian accent confirmed his identity. He flashed a charming, flirty smile at me.

“I’m good now. Thank you for caring after me, doctor… Russo, right?”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you feel better now. You came to the hospital and left very abruptly. You barely got a checkup so I was really worried.” 

Of course I had to lie to him. I couldn’t tell him that I came to the hospital to quench my thirst for blood and grab some packs for Klaus. I was so tired from the flight that I just visited the nearest hospital, where I bumped into Dr. Russo, and probably made the most immature mistake a vampire could possibly make.

“Seeing you here makes me feel relieved.” said Dr. Russo “Now that you are healthier. Would you like to hang out some time?”

“She can’t” A beloved British voice grunted from behind my back. “She has already had one”

Klaus gave me a gelato cone without even glimpsing at me. His eyes were all on Dr. Russo. 

“I suggest you go find yourself another patient” He pushed the doctor away as I sensed how bad this situation could turn. 

I rushed to stand between the two of them, staring at Klaus. “Dr. Russo is about leave. He’s just being friendly.” I pleaded. “Klaus, look at me.”

His eyes moved away from him back to me, glaring at me. His chest heaved in fury. I turned my back only to find the doctor walking away from us, looking over his back to see us one last time. His eyes were filled with fear mixed with anger.

“Don’t stir a fuss here, Klaus. We don’t need to draw attention in public” I held his hand, rubbing my finger against his in reassurance as I pulled him to a dark lane.”I just accidentally met him when I stole some blood bags from his hospital. Don’t be jealous”

“I’m not jealous” said Klaus while holding his gaze at the fading sight of the doctor.

“Of course you are not jealous.” I sarcastically said "You were just about to rip a doctor’s heart out of his ribcage for no particular reason.” 

His attention was finally drawn back to me. 

“So, am I cursed or not?” I changed the subject, hoping it would degrade this tension.

“She gave you 8.5. You’re safe.” We

“Where’s the other cone? I thought you were buying two”

I looked past his shoulder and saw it lying on the pavement, totally crushed and molten. It must have fallen from Klaus’ hand during his feud with Dr. Russo.

“I’m sorry. Stay here. I will go get you another one”

Before I had time to respond, he left me there, standing alone. My eyes glued to his back, watching him walk down the pavement. Then he took a turn. It dawned on me that he was not going back to the gelato store. He was heading for Dr. Russo. 

I tracked him by following the path I saw he take, only to find him with his teeth sunk in Dr. Russo’s neck. 

“Klaus, stop it” i rushed to him, pulling him away from the doctor. 

The doctor’s body dropped with a quiet thud. 

“I told you he was nothing.” I yelled at him while checking Dr. Russo’s pulse. Thanks god, he was still alive.

I glared back at Klaus. The doctor’s blood was dripping from his beard. HIs eyes darkened with amusement. 

“I don’t like the way he looked at you” He was wild, satisfied with what he did. “He could have left. Intact. But he chose to give me that challenge glance. Too smirky for my likelihood. He asked for this”

“You should have picked someone at your own size, Klaus. You know he’s powerless to you” I watched the doctor rise to his feet, compelling him into believing his wound was caused by an accident, 

I turned to Klaus, finding him brushing the blood off his beard.

“His blood wasn’t a bit tasty”

That was it. I couldn’t take this anymore. He triggered my anger and should not expect any kiss could calm me down.

I pushed him against the wall of the lane, hand gripping his neck.

“You ruined everything, Klaus. We could have the whole day of serenity. Apparently, you couldn’t stop being so diabolical”

His eyes lightened up with pain. His face eased but was filled with shame and hurt.

“I can make it up to you. We still have tomorrow…”  
“We don’t, Klaus.” I stopped him, loosening my grip on his neck.” We are coming back to New Orleans tomorrow. It’s Elijah’s funeral, Klaus.” 

The very moment his brother’s name came out of my mouth, I saw it again. The pain of loss just struck him.

Klaus always hid the empathetic side of him. He didn’t want anyone to see past himself, so he put on his camouflage to deceive everyone. He’d rather saw him as a monster with no empathy. A king with no fear.

But to me, he was Klaus, a victim of his past. 

Stripped off of atrocity, pride and arrogance, in front of me stood a man scarred by loneliness and rejection. 

My hand fell down to his side, holding his hand. The other wiped away his tears. 

“It’s time to come home, Klaus” I leaned in for a hug and whispered in his ear.


	7. Homecoming

As soon as we stepped our feet on the Mikaelson’s property, we saw the shadow rushing in our direction.

Hope.

Klaus held her close, squeezing his little daughter in his arms. 

“I thought I would never see you again” 

“I couldn’t let you die, Dad” Her tears kept streaming down her face, arms wrapping around her father’s neck. “I just lost mom and I can’t afford to lose another parent”

I watched them closely, feeling a sense of pride as I did help them be together instead of being parted by death. 

He looked like a good human. A father. The one who would go to hell if that’s what it takes to save his girl.

She changed him.

Just like how my daughters changed me.

“I understand it all, love” He ran his fingers through her hair and wiped away the teardrops lingering on her face. “I really do”

“I miss you so much, Dad” She turned to meet my gaze “Thank you, Caroline. Thank you for taking care of my Dad”

“I agreed to help so no need to thank me” I nodded, allowing tears to stream down as the scene I was seeing was beyond emotional.

Behind Hope stood his family, greeting and welcoming their brother to come back home. 

He was never alone. He would never be.

————

Having my legs pulled to my chest, I sat in the bathtub quietly, gazing out the window.

Hundreds of thoughts ran through my mind, waiting to be processed. But most of my thoughts were about Klaus and things related to him. 

Everything felt so complex. Like strings tangled in each other.I couldn’t resolve it. 

We just came back from Elijah’s funeral, where an empty coffin lay motionless, listening to the Mikaelson’s speeches. 

I didn’t listen to any of them. Action speaks louder than words. So my eyes didn’t leave their sight for once. It was their expressions that told how much they loved Elijah. It was the wince they tried to hide, the moments when they were carried away by reminiscence that spoke how much they missed their brother.

I owed Elijah once. He gave me a man I loved. He put an opportunity for us to be together in my hand. 

I could never pay him back.

All I could do is to wish him a good life in the Bright World, hoping he would find Hayley and his happy ending there. He deserved it.

“What are you thinking, love?” Klaus stood at the door, leaning his body to one side of the wall, hands crossing at his chest, eyes watching me closely.

“My mind is wandering to here and there” I answered as he quickly took off his clothes and walked to the bathtub “What are you doing?”

He didn’t reply. Eyes fixed on me while his body submerged into the water.

“I’m saving water by bathing with you, that’s all” 

I grinned at him, shaking my head. This man could sometimes act like a boy and I still loved him nonetheless.

“Now tell me, where has your mind taken you?” He sat in front of me, hands tracing every inch of my skin. “It looks like it’s bothering you”

“Just thinking about Elijah and the last piece of memory I had with him. It was about you”

His hands wouldn’t stop what they were doing but his facial expression was no longer light.

“It was cruel of you to come to me and ask me to kill you, you know?” I looked out the window again, staring at the beautiful scenery outside. “You know precisely how I feel towards you.

“You know I had to save Hope” 

“You could have asked Alaric and begged him until he agrees. But you came to me because you know I can’t say no to you, especially when it comes to your daughter”

He stared at me, hands fell to the water, eyes glistening.

That confirmed that I was right.

“After you visited my office, I could barely have a good sleep.” My eyes went wet as I recalled my nightmares, which caused me to get goosebumps. “In my dreams I always saw you in my arms at first. We danced and danced all night long. You spinned me around, but when I turned back, you had vanished and there were only ashes and embers floating in the air. I screamed your name at the top of my lungs but you were nowhere to be found.” 

His forehead wrinkled in astonishment. Tears running down from his eye corners, coloring his skin a darker shade.

“The girls will have their family one day. They will grow old and be gone. So will Alaric and everyone” I pulled my legs closer to me, letting the tears fall on my knees. “One day, I will be all alone with no one to accompany, to love” 

“That idea terrifies the hell out of me. It haunted me day and night” 

“I’m sorry” His calloused hand found mine, brushing my fingers. An apology was all he could say. 

“I don’t want that. I don’t think I deserve that” I couldn’t control my emotions anymore and started to gasp for air and sob. The more I tried to wipe away the tears, the more I cried. “So I selfishly took Elijah’s offer”

Klaus pulled me closer and rubbed the back of my neck. 

At that moment, I felt so small, like the bathtub was as big as a pool. And Klaus was the only thing keeping my head above the water.

Klaus was the only one keeping me alive.

I leaned over to lay my head on his chest, eyes watching the motion on the water surface and the bubbles gathering around our bodies My breaths slowed down as I became calmer under his touch.

“I never meant to hurt you that way” I felt the chin laid on my head “I promised to never hurt you. But turns out I broke every promise I gave you”

“But I’m here now” He lifted my face up so my eyes would meet his. “You won’t ever have to be alone. That’s one last promise of mine, by which I swear to keep with everything I have. Even if you run and push me away, I will come to find you”

I closed my eyes and smiled, blinking a teardrop away, comforted with his words.

I cupped his cheeks, pulling him closer until our foreheads touched and I could breathe in his breath. Our lips met in a long deep kiss. Our tongues intertwined, danced together in our mouths. 

I got lost in the sensation, allowing myself to be carried away by the feel of his existence.

I broke away from his kiss, sliding back to the other end of the bathtub, hand still lingered in his.

I watched his face and threw my head back laughing.

“What’s so funny that you’re laughing?” Klaus was so confused with my sudden reaction.

“The bubbles are all over your face” I said, trying to prevent him from brushing them away.

“Don’t clean it. It’s like a white beard that you’ll never have” I taunted him “It makes you look like Santa… Klaus”

He roared out a loud laugh “How long have you waited to make that pun, Caroline?” 

We chortled hysterically, unable to go back to normal

“Forever, I think” I tried to gain back my sanity, holding back another wave of laughters.

“You look so beautiful when you smile, love”

“So do you, Klaus”

“I hope I can give you this forever. This genuine happiness”

“You will. I trust you. With everything I have"


	8. The Proposal

i am going to propose. I got the ring.It was decorated with a small diamond and our names carved in the inside. I even secretly measured his finger to make sure the ring would fit him perfectly. 

I know it is insane to have a woman propose to a man instead of vice versa. But this is the 21st century. Trivial conventions are nothing more than limitations that prevent humans to thrive. There’s no point in complying to them if you don’t feel the need to. As for me, I am sick of waiting.

We have officially been dating for a year. Asking someone to marry you after one year of dating is… not highly recommended, to be honest. If you asked me, that would be my answer. However, I always believe in exceptions, things that never follow trivial conventions. Our case is like that. It’s different. I have known him for over a decade and have loved him before I was aware of it. 

I don’t want to wait anymore. I don’t want to be the kind of woman who passively waits for her man to make a move. And it’s not that I’m afraid he will be stolen by any woman. I mean, people tend to run when they see him, let alone woman. 

It’s just that I’ve thought this through, considered every factor. I love him and he probably loves me more than I love him. We are each other’s missing final piece of puzzle. With him in my life, my picture is completed.

I almost lost him once. Despite it being his choice, the pain of losing that special someone was still horrifying. 

Time keeps ticking. And the idea of him being dead slowly eats you up, consumes you, leaves you broken and damaged. At some point, you will find yourself drowning in tears, suffocating as the pain chokes you. The experience is more tormenting than you can bear, making you jump at any chance to escape from it. Elijah gave me that chance.

We missed out on each other for so long. Long enough for me to understand how much I want to be with him. We will probably fight, scream at each other’s face, hurt each other. But we have an eternity to figure it all out.

So that brought me here. In a blue dress, quite similar to the one he picked me ages ago but shorter, sitting in front of Klaus, playing with a ring box I have managed to brought with me without him noticing it. 

I tricked him into thinking that having a date night on the outskirt of Paris was a romantic idea. Quite cunning. But I know men are somewhat keen on being active and having control in relationships, so I let him chose the location. As romantic as Klaus can be, he took me to a dinner at a gazebo looking out to a lavender field that seems to spread to horizon.

The dinner was amazing. We laughed about stupid things we had done in the past. We talked about parenting teenage girls and how to deal with them. He told me about all these places he went to, which only made me want him to hold my hand and take me there more.

I can’t believe my hands are sweating right now.

“Caroline, I have something to tell you” He sips from the wine glass, puts it down as his eyes descend on me. 

“I have something to tell you, too” I fill my glass and pour all the wine down my throat in hope it will stop this nervousness.

“Is it about what make you act so odd today? Is it about me?”

“Yes, it is about you. But you start first.”

“No. You start first. I want to hear it. If I did you wrong, I need to know. I don’t want to mess this up with you”

“Klaus, you don’t have to act like I will leave you just because you don’t pull off a date. You did a lot of terrible things and here I am, still here with you” I hold his hand, brushing his fingers in comfort, looking into his eyes” You just have to be… you. I’m happy with that”

“So this is not about the date?”

“No” I let out a breath before placing the ring box on the table. ”It’s about this”

As he sees the ring, he’s stunned. His mouth falls open in disbelief.

“Don’t say anything just yet. I know this looks really crazy and unconventional. And I know men enjoy having control of things like this.” I pull myself together and gather all the courage I have left. “But I’m in love with you, Klaus. I have always been. I understand you enough for me to know that I want to be your partner-in-crime for the rest of your eternity. I know you better than I know myself. I have thoroughly considered everything. My needs. My wants. My feelings. Everything all leads to you. So right now, I’m asking you. Will you marry me?”

His eyes blink in surprise. I’m waiting for his response but nothing comes out of his mouth.

I’m more scared than ever. Why am I wasting my happy days for this? What if he says no? Would it be the end of our newly-established relationship?

“Please, Klaus. You don’t have to answer me now. Give it a thought. Just keep the ring. If you say yes, you can use it to propose to me again. If not, just return it to me” I’m about to take back the ring when he snatches the box.

“Not only are you beautiful and full of light but you are also very bold, love” He stands up to my side, lowers his head to carefully study the ring. “But aren’t you going to kneel? Isn’t that how it should be done?”

“I'm contemplating it. But I’ve broken one tradition already, haven’t I? Why bother continuing another?” I grunt out. God, he’s making me regret this.

I leave my seat, moving to his side as I try to take back the ring. 

He closes the box and gives it back to me. 

“Is that a no?” My anger dissipates, leaving my heart with nothing but fear and worry. He’s rejecting me. 

I suddenly find it hard to breathe It feels empty in a quick moment. My eyes start to burn. My belly is churning like something is scratching from the inside. Tears are gathering up in my eyes as I watch Klaus stand in front of me with his hands in his pockets. He looks as if he doesn’t know the effect he has on me.

And he pulls out another box, falling to one knee.

“I told you I had something to tell you.” Klaus opens the box to reveal a beautiful ring with a big diamond on it ”Turns out, you have stolen my part”

It takes me a few minutes to fully become aware of the situation. I cover my mouth with my hands as I gasp for air. 

“I know I’m not the best man in the world. In fact, I’m the monster they fear. But in spite of what I’ve done and the pain I’ve caused, you still believe in the light in me. You show me love, compassion and kindness You bring me back to life. While people run, you stay. You make me feel like a man, like a human. You give me things I have desired for so long.”

“I love you, Caroline. I truly do. I hope you will give me the honor to call you my wife.” His eyes won’t leave the sight of me for once as he sincerely says "Love, will you marry me?”

Tears stream down my face. I try to calm down to no avail, finding myself nod frantically.

“Yes. Yes. Yes” I blurt out as if it’s the only word in my mind right now.

He stands up, gives me a wide smile and hugs me close. I think I see his tears, but that might be me.

“I love you so much, Caroline” He whispers in my ear, brushing his cheek against my hair.

I close my eyes to savor the moment, absorbing his earthy scent into my system. 

“I love you, too, Klaus”


End file.
